Main Characters
Michael "I used to be a spy" Westen and his close group of "burn fighters" and "wrong righters."Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan)
Michael Westen is a more than simply average field operative spy who was notified that he had been “burned” while in the middle of a mission in Warri Nigeria; which got him severely beaten and nearly killed. The son of Frank and Madeline Weston, he lived in Miami until age 17 when his mother forged her husband’s name on a permission document so he could join the military. He has two known contacts in Miami: Lucy Chen and Sam Axe (in addition to his mother Madeline.) Pretty much everyone except Sam calls him 'Michael' - Sam frequently shortens it to: 'Mikey.' He came from an abusive family and missed his estranged father’s funeral by eight years. He has a brother, Nate, who his mother, a hypocondriacal chain-smoker named Madeline, says went to pot after Mike left. The bits and pieces we've been able to glean about Mikes life history are as follows:
Childhood Years:
- Age six - he and Nate took up the floor and sneaked out the heating vents in order to see the Star Wars movie which his father had told them they couldn't see.
- He has a scar on his left cheek from a beating by his father.
- His father made him fake a seizure in Mr. Goodwrench so he could steal spark plugs and always seemed to start jobs then hand Mike the to-do list to finish for him. His father’s approach to his machinery was similar to his approach to his family: 'if you don’t like how something is working keep banging on it until it does what you want.'
- He and his mother used a secret code for when his father was on a rampage. She would call him and tell him that she wanted him “to come home right now”- meaning to stay away.
- Age nine - he stole groceries because his father had blown his paycheck. The owner’s son, Tommy Knox, the bag-boy, caught him and gave him a black eye; but, he got away with the groceries. Madeline had taken the groceries from him, but never asked about the black eye.
- Age ten - he stole his first car when his mom had to get Nate to the doctor and his dad was “gone.”
- Age twelve - He had stolen more cars by the time he was twelve than Nate did his entire life. We know because his father kept a ledger in his personal papers with his will. Mike would steal them when their dad was drunk in order to drive to the store for groceries – apparently with the knowledge of his mother.
- His brother Nate was being bullied at school by Todd so he told Todd that if he messed with Nate, he was messing with him as well. Todd left Nate alone until M went to highschool.
- Age 15 - On Christmas, his father knocked his brother Nate around and Michael fought to defend him, receiving a black eye for his efforts. His mother took a picture of the three by telling them they wouldn't get dinner otherwise.
- One summer, his father made him and Nate rebuild the Charger from ground up. (59)
- Age 17 - Madeline forged her husband’s signature on a form so M could enter the military early. She said it was because she realized that if he didn’t go away he would end up in jail, or worse. She let him go because he needed to focus on something good. She never told him that fact however, because she didn’t want to take away the one thing that he was grateful to his father for.
- His brother Nate at some time took out 10 credit cards in Ms name, lost Ms rental car in a card game and then hit M in the head with a telephone book.
- His favorite dish is tuna with tahini – which Fiona makes whenever she wants to manipulate him.
- He has two black belts, 30 years of Karate experience, combat experience on five continents and a rating with every weapon that shoots a bullet or holds an edge.
- Unbelievably, his 'high school grades were good enough for him to have been valedictorian' if he hadn’t been suspended so many times.
- He missed his graduation, went into the Army and just disappeared.
- When he left, Madeline told him later, he was a 'scared kid… angry at the world, angry at everything.'
Military/Covert Ops Years:
- M told a shooter, Cole, that he had 'been in the Special Forces.' (52)
- He was involved in some incident which required his C.O., Captain Novak, to pull him out of a burning jeep. (67)
- When he came home on leave the first time he found out that Patrick Garney had stolen his girlfriend and spent several hours sulking in the driveway until he stole Patrick's motorcycle and drove it into the Miami River.
- He was recruited into the CIA by a man named Raines who considered him an 'unstoppable SOB.' (63)
- He told Agent Bly that he “NEVER worked for any service branch directly.” (Other promo interviews with cast members say that M had been with the CIA. And we know that Strickler prepared documents for what he would tell the CIA when he talked to them to 'get back in.')
- He won the trophy for setting a sharpshooting record at Camp Rhino – slightly less than 94% at 600 meters [not bested until Lt. Ethan Reed did 94%.] (67)
- Carla reminded him about the “good old days” when he was just a “carefree spy in the deserts of Afganistan.”
- He was with Sam in Bulgaria where they did a “personnel carrier job.”
- He got his sunglasses from an Algerian special ops guy who 'didn’t need them anymore.'
- He did something which required using a 'cutout' in Belgrade that Cowan knew about. His favorite “cutout sign” is the tourist guide for Madison Wisconsin.
- He told Sam that an article Cowan sent to him, about a terrorist being killed in Budapest, was about a job he did meeting someone under the steps of city hall.
- He is able to read and write Urdu – but is a little rusty.
- He speaks and reads Russian and Farsi but not Spanish.
- He had thought many times about just how far he would go to win his freedom. Would he trade someone’s life for his freedom? Victor, an “enemy of his enemy” who he had made a “friend” and who was mortally wounded, begged M for an “assist” in ending his life and M complied.
- He worked for about a year in Lebanon and Bosnia with a duplicitous, pretty-boy, bumbling-fool in special-forces, Harlan, who nearly got them caught many times by his incompetence. Sam also worked 4 or 5 missions with Harlan.
- He met Samantha Keyes on a mission in St. Petersburg and became engaged (at her request); but, called it off – ostensibly after meeting Fiona.
- Did a job in St. Petersburg with Samantha then a similar one in Dublin with Fiona; both of which involved hiding in a false wall of a truck to smuggle something into an area which was otherwise impenetrable.
- He met Fiona Glenanne for the first time somewhere while they were 'driving past a factory,' being chased by someone, and had arranged for a couple of cars to be blown up and into the road just after they had passed, so that those following them couldn't get by. [The more particulars weren't revealed] (29 - 216)
- He met Fiona on a mission in Ireland and got as close to her as anyone else but “it wasn’t close enough.”
- He spent service time in Afghanistan and the former Soviet Republic, and was with Fiona in Dublin and Germany where she gave him scars because of their profoundly unhappy relationship.
- He and Fiona had a distress code word when they were in Belfast – he would call her “honey.” (61)
- Fiona’s brother saw M save Fiona from some “English bastards who had her pinned down in Belfast.”
- He and Fiona used to do “drops” in Dublin by leaving innocuous items on top of parked car tires.
- 91 - Did a few jobs with Larry Sizemore in the Balkan’s in ’91-’92 - Larry remarked that it was '20 missions on three continents.' (313)
- 92 - He was stuck in Poland for an extended period of time. Sam was there and at least Michael's job had him in the dark so much and for so long that his skin tone became pastey (FoSA)
- 93 - He told a Russian wet-work man, Alexi, that he had shot a man who looked a lot like him in Kiev, ’93. The Spetsnaz team tried to sell a warhead. Nobody ever saw them again – it was a good winter for me.”
- He reminded Sam of a 'thing' in Kiev where 'Misha sold out the wet work team on the way to Paris.' It is unclear whether either were actually there or just knew about it. (FoSA)
- 94 - He worked a scam to obtain some information with Larry Seizmore in St. Petersburg in 1994. M played a senior diplomat (the boss) who needed information of some kind from a gatekeeper of some sort. When the gatekeeper resisted, Larry called, pretending to be an angry higher authority, in order to set the stage; then, he burst into the room pretending to be an underling, stating that he had the supposed authorization papers. But before he could be asked to show them, they both turned on the gatekeeper about him going to catch it from the higher authority. Not wanting to be put in the middle, the gatekeeper rushed out to obtain what was requested, which gave M and Larry a chance to have access to the information that they really wanted. (61)
- 97 - He blew up something of Pyotr Chechik’s, a Ukranian ganster, in ’97 which made him a life-long enemy.
- 99 - He and Sam pulled a con, in Moscow in ’99, on Colonel Prokov, who had a drinking problem. With weeks of prep, they made him look insane or incompetent in order to negate the credibility of information that he had.
- 00 - Seven years previous (to season one), in July, in Istanbul, he nearly caught a woman assassin named Evelyn who had killed two diplomats. She began stalking him and later used him to find a mark.
- 00 - Eight years previous (to season two) he was injured and in a field hospital while transporting someone to a locked facility overseas. He didn’t have a phone so couldn’t call Madeline on her birthday.
- 02 - Did NOT do: One of the things he was burned for was a bombing in Chechnya, 2002, 54 people dead – actually it was done by Simon.
- 05, Jan 22 - He was in Virgina Beach, FL and met with Sam at the Beer and Bowl for a few beers and buddy talk. He advised Sam, who had just slept with his COs wife, to call the Admiral immediately. At the time he was sporting a full beard, longish hair, a photographer's vest and a deep suntan. He said he was working 'somewhere sunny.' (FoSA)
- 06 - Did NOT do: Also 3 years previously (season 3) in Jordan, 15 killed, 15 maimed in bus explosion – again Simon.
- 07 - He was notified that he was 'Burned' while trying to pay a warlord in Warri Nigeria not to blow up things in an oil field. (01)
The Burn Notice:
- His burn notice was from the Department of Homeland Security and labeled: 'Cold Sunshine - 37104:AA920435:GTVKNJ37.' The DIRECTIVE stated that: 'MICHAEL WESTON is not longer a reliable assett. He is hereby removed from the list of approved contractors, effective immediately. All entities associated with the United States government and its allies are to have no contact with Westen. This includes, but is not limited to, all government officials and contractors with a top-secret security clearance and above. Any violation of this order is punishable with a revocation of security status as well as any criminal penalties applicable under U.S. Law…'
AKA:
Peter Jordan [ex-cell mate] (2), Steve Remington (5), Homer [Good old boy southern driver] (6), Mr. Smith [Affected art dealer] (8), Andrew Chambers (9), Rod Bucksey (11), Terry Miller [English mining executive] (13), Rich Franklin [Miami Harold reporter] (14), Davis Cullen [Texas oil baron’s kid] (16), Sergei Yoblanovich [Volgograd born, American raised smuggler] (17), Jimmy Glynn [Real estate developer] (18), Jackson [Nerdy, asthmatic, chemist] (19), Larry Sizemore [psychopathic hit-man] (20), Brad Schucka(r) [15 year special forces now body guard] (21), Donnie [A bit ‘slowish’ medical scammer] (22), Johnny [slick-suited car theft crew leader] (23,59), Miles Parker [corporate espionage] (24), Unnamed Doctor [doctor in a hostage situation] (25), Owen Matthews [“sanitizer” of records] (26), Tom Wellington, Esq [timid lawyer with a chest cold] (29), Shep [Druggie informant] (30), Milo [A small time hood apprentice] (32), Duane Winger [slick P.I. with a southern accent] (33) , Peter [Illicit car buyer] (35), Unspecified ["Cleaner"] (36), Michael McBride [From Kilkenny] (37), Paul Smith [American arms dealer] (37), Alex [Car scam driver] (38), Lewis [A “Satan” stand-in] (39), D.J. [Local procurement expert] (40), Max [Heroin dealing fashion design partner] (42), Unspecified [Health inspector] (43). Turner ["a finder"] (46), Ned Gordon [Ex-FBI] (47,48), Randy [arson investigator] (50), Scott Miller [security consultant] (50), Vickner [Hostage negotiator] (52), Matt Reese (53), Himself [Prison inmate ] (54), Brooks [dirty cop] (55), Joseph [Miracle worker] (56), Gordon Lutz [wannabe psychopath] (57), Elias Schmidt [Neighborhood watch ] (58), Ray Grant [Drug buyer from Jacksonville ] (60), Vasili Andropov [Russian FSB agent] (63), Trey [Vegas loan shark] (65), Baxter [thief] (66); as well as many impromptu and unnamed maintenance, delivery and other types of personnel.
Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell)
Sam is a former US Navy S.E.A.L. who met Michael while working in military intelligence. He has some previous knowledge of both Fiona and Lucy as well; but, was retired and living the good life, off of his pension and wealthy widows he dated, until Michael got burned. Now he has grown into one of Michael's closest friends; which thing has put a serious crimp in his dating. Their friendship is at the level that he is one of the few, or only, one who gets away with calling him 'Mikey.' He is very well 'connected' into government “sources” and has a great facility with computers, electronics and the usual spy type stuff as well.
- 10 yo - He stole a Red Ryder BB gun when his dad told him he couldn't have one. His dad told the cops to lock him up in a cell for a couple of hours to teach him a lesson. (48)
- Youth - He played football for 'Amilee (sp?) High' and said that his 'passing arm' took his team to the Michigan State Quarter Finals. (46)
- Evently he grew up in Michigan and went to school there.
- His animosity toward Fiona possibly stemmed from her attempt at purchasing guns from a Libyan arms dealer.
- 84 - His life was “saved” by Virgil back in ’84 in East Germany when Sam had “done some stuff that I shouldn’t have” and Virgil had given him a second chance when he didn’t deserve it.
- He served with Virgil Watkins overseas and remembered a woman named Gerta from East Berlin.
- He led a hostage rescue operation in Venezuela for some U.S. businessmen which turned out to be a set up. The hostages being bait for Sam’s team.
- Had a bizarre, made-up card game that he played in the S.E.A.L. teams when they were feeling crappy and needed to take their minds off something.
- He told Mike that he had dated a few Ukrainian’s “in my day.”
- He knew Larry Sizemore and didn’t like him.
- He did four or five missions with a duplicitous, bumbling-fool, pretty-boy in special-forces, Harlan, who “always had your back.” M also worked for about a year with Harlan.
- Dated Josie Conolly who had a son Stacey. When they broke up Sam wasn’t allowed to see Stacey any more which came back to haunt him in the form of an IRS audit by the vindictive Stacey.
- 80's - He led a 5 man fact finding team into El Salvador, including Pete his buddy. The death squads attacked and Pete was hit in the spine. He told Sam to go on without him but instead Sam sent the team ahead and stayed with Pete to hide in a church living off the communion wafers until a couple of Black Hawks could airlift them out.
- 89 - A “broker” named Mueller contacted him in East Germany in ’89 and tried to pay him to “Accidentally” blow up a factory during an operation. He refused.
- He was divorced from Amanda his wife “because the missions were always more important.”
- He served in the S.E.A.L.s with a man known as Mack who married Amanda after they had divorced. [It is uncertain how this part of the back story jives with his “fling” where he was married for a day and never divorced which prevented his marrying Veronica” – i.e. was he a bigamist then as well? ]
- He told a client that he had been pulling some civilians out of a hot spot in Kuwait and had gotten shot on the way out.
- He had an asset down in Columbia, Juan Ruiz, who had saved his life but was now in prison for 8 years for money laundering and in trouble with LaNacion, the prison gang.
- 95 - In ’95 he led a S.E.A.L. team down to Columbia for a “drug war thing.” Medellin put a bomb in his hotel and Juan Ruiz tipped them off.
- He caught a marlin off of Pidgeon Key with Harlan on his boat.
- 05 - Just after new year, Jan 22nd, he met and eventually slept with Donna Maitland who eventually told him that she was married - to his CO, Admiral Maitland! He met with Michael Weston that afternoon who advised him to 'come clean' to his CO immediately - he didn't, and was caught because he had accidentally left his belt at her house. For that, he was assigned to a punishment duty in Columbia - which nearly got him killed or even worse, court martialed.
- 05 - Jan 22-31st he was sent to Columbia in 'Operation Provide Support' ostensibly to 'observe and report' about a rebel group who a 'governor Perez' had requested help with. Instead, he found that Perez and his Colonel, Veracruz, were really drug runners who were trying to annialate some farmers and a volunteer clinic who were in their way. Eventually Sam was able to coerce a couple of unwilling CIA agents to help him rescue the real victims. It was only his 'street savy' and quick thinking that enabled him to avoid a trumped-up court martial and obtain a discharge and pension to Miami. It was there where he first used the alias Chuck Finley.
- 07 - He was blackmailed by the FBI with the threatened loss of his pension, to get him to inform on his buddy Michael Westen. Mike knew about it and he only gave the FBI information that wouldn't get M in trouble.
- Even though he complained all the way, he answered Ms call when Fiona didn’t; so, M said he was going to call Sam first from then on.
- 09 - Volunteer's for 'Help at Home,' a charity for soldiers families who were killed in combat. He was 'Sammyclause' at Christmas.
AKA:
Chuck Finley [Lots of people] (multiple), Detective Cagney [Lacey’s partner], Sammyclause [volunteer santa], Greg Winter [Married to Fiona] (63)
Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar)
Fiona met Michael Westen in Ireland when he was under the cover identity of Michael McBride from Kilkenny and she was a 'freelance operative' for the IRA and other entities. She came from an Irish family of seven: five boys (one of them Sean) and two girls. When the youngest, Claire, was 'taken' she got in with a radical named Thomas O’Neill who was planning a bombing in a prep school. She foiled the plan and a few years later O’Neill came after her. She was a member of the IRA and robbed banks for them, has great facility with explosives and tactics and the ability to fight and defend herself. She is impulsive, perseverant, distractible (LD/HK), mean spirited, amazingly self-centered, manipulative and aggressively pursues MW to the point of distraction.
Childhood:
- Her favorite breakfast is a Spanish Omelet, egg whites only.
- She speaks French fluently - for which she sounds like she has lived in France at some point, or perhaps learned it from a parent or grand-parent.
- Raised a Catholic and without any political or violent interest, she suddenly joined the IRA and blew up cars all over Belfast after her sister Claire was shot, while she was out shopping, by a soldiers bullet who fired into a crowd. That morning she had spilled cranberry juice on her sister’s sweater and they had a terrible fight so she made her favorite dessert, bread pudding, for an apology. Claire never got to taste it and Fiona never got to say she was sorry.
Older in Ireland:
- Met a man named O’Neill when she was looking for the man who killed her sister.
- She began trying to avenge her sisters death and met Thomas O'Neill, an ultra-radical terrorist, who thought her just as evil as he was. She discovered a plot by O'Neill to blow up children in a prep-school and foiled it.
- She first met Michael Westen as Michael McBride somewhere wile they were 'driving past a factory' being chased by someone and had arranged for a couple of cars to be blown up and into the road just after they had passed so that those following them couldn't get by. [The more particulars weren't revealed] (29 - 216)
- Did a job in Dublin with M involving hiding in a false wall of a truck to sneak something into an otherwise impenetrable area.
- She and M used to do “drops” in Dublin by leaving innocuous items on top of parked car tires.
- She and M had a distress call when they were in Belfast – he would call her “honey.” (61)
- She was with M in Ireland and Germany.
- Was rescued by M from some “English bastards who had her pinned down in Belfast.”
- She did something in which a money launderer was killed in Belfast.
Freelancing Out of Ireland:
- She attempted purchasing guns from a Libyan arms dealer but was thwarted by something Sam Axe was involved in, which is why she hates Sam.
- She has a snow globe for places she’s done a job – Beijing, London, Italy and the Taj Mahal.
In The USA:
- After absolutely harassing and haranguing M to distraction he finally told her point blank – this is what I want and if you care about me you should damn well want for me what I want for myself. She acquiesced and said then I’ll be with you; but left the room dramatically.
- She told MW that the last money launderer she met - they were still finding pieces of him all over Belfast.
- She didn’t pick up Ms call when he was being held hostage so M said he was going to call her second from now on.
- Although she resented it, she became a client (37) when M had to rescue her from her old enemy Thomas O’Neill.
AKA:
Kate [medical scammer] (22), Claire Honore’ [French lady] (26), Brianna [Thick accented gang mall] (32), Kim [A “softer approach” for interrogation] (36), Unnamed CIA Agent [Deep throated CIA agent] (42), Kelly Minch [Unknown, used impromptu] (43), Tonya [Jesse's illegally maried wife] (48), Karen Campbell [security consultant] (50), Barbara [ditsy software saleswoman] (51), Charlotte (Mrs. Chuck ) Finley [Security consultant] (52), Alexis [Ditsy rich mark] (55), Detective Lacey [Cagney’s partner ] (), Shannon Brown [Police detective] (57), Tara Winter [wife of Sam] (63), Officer Sharon Stone [dirty cop] (67)
Madeline Weston (Sharon Gless)
The mother of Michael and his younger brother Nate. She is a very manipulative, hypochondriac chain-smoker who put up with an abusive husband, Frank, apparently through a lot of pretending. For example when her husband stole electrical cable and wood for an addition onto their house, she called it 'finding.' They had a secret hiding place behind a secret panel in their closet for her husband to keep his 'confidential' things - neither M or Nate ever found out about it. She helped her sons negotiate around the situation, with their drunken abusive father, through a series of verbal codes and overlooking their daliances. She was accepting (at least tolerant) of Michaels childhood “delinquent” behavior; but, not above using it to blackmail him for her own purposes. She did recognize that M was smart enough to get himself into real trouble if he didn't get out of the situation he was in; so, forged her husband's signature on a parental permission form which allowed M to get into the military service early, at seventeen.
- She lived with her abusive husband Frank for thirty years until his death, eight years before Michael was burned and returned to Miami.
- She told M that she had thought about leaving his dad but wanted to keep the family together.
- She told M that when he had stolen the groceries and come home with a black eye when he was nine, he had looked so proud that she didn’t think he wanted her to know he had stolen them; so didn’t say anything.
- Her husband used to steal (she called it borrow) equipment by using a city inspectors shirt which they kept behind a secret panel in their closet that even M didn’t know about.
- She had a secret code with M for when his father was on a rampage. She would call him and tell him: “I want you to come home right now!'
- For a time she kept her car at Mrs. Gartelman's, a neighbor; why, she never said.
- She also lives next door - through the back fence - to Mrs. Reynolds.
AKA:
Smokin’ Mamma [CB handle] (52),
Jesse Porter (Coby Bell)
A counter-intelligence agent who was investigating the source of international wars and corruption at the time his key-card was stolen by Vaughn, in order to blackmail MW into using it to obtain files illicitly. He doesn't have the field experience or training as MW; but, he was none-the-less “burned” [for which the writers expect us to blame MW, as they constantly write lines for Fiona, Jesse and Madeline to do] when his key-card was used. Then when a terrorist came after him he ran to Michael for help. In spite of the fact that Michael had to continually keep Vaugh from taking action against him, Jesse tiresomely ran around whining and threatening to kill whoever had burned him in nearly every episode. He had a “handler” named Marv who claimed he believed in Jesse’s innocence but completely refused to deal with him until he was blackmailed – which he was… at least twice.
His mother was shot and allowed to bleed to death in a convenience store robbery. He had not been allowed to go to the funeral to 'protect him' but still carry's a St. Christopher medal that she had given him. He says that he 'doesn't trust or make friends easily.' He supposedly had a “thing” for Fiona; except that the only thing the writers ever gave us to prove it was the occasional odd, superficial innuendo and Madeline observing to us that she noticed it. [Actually, the Jesse character is the most poorly designed and executed character arc in the whole series and receives much impatient, negative comment from the fan base – many of who desire that he be killed off.] Jesse “found out” from Marv that it had been M who had burned him and escalated his pouting into full blown adolescent tantrums, ignoring what he had actually seen of what M, Fiona and Sam accomplish or how they do it; or, even considering any possible alternatives as to who actually had done the “burning.” He played like he was going to shoot Fiona then left and lurked on the periphery waiting for them to come to him and coddle him like they’ve done all season.
- age 9 - His mother was shot and killed during a robbery of a convenience store when he was nine. Bystanders in the parking lot allowed her to bleed to death on the floor. (47)
- He wasn't allowed to go to his mother's funeral, to protect him.
- He had a St. Christopher medal that belonged to his mother and 'it didn't help her.'
- 2002 - He joined a counter-intelligence group 8 years before he was burned. (46)
- He started in the field, but was stuck behind a desk job 'because I tended to go after all the bad guys and not just ones they intended me to get.' He took out a guy who was smacking his girlfriend around in a bar. (46)
- He was investigating many terrorist activities which all seemed to link to an individual that he had a lead on when he was burned. (46)
AKA:
Scott [Fiona's illegally married husband] (48), Artest [Police detective] (57), a buddy [MWs "source" in the police force] (65), Fast Eddy [medical scammer] (67), Officer Goodtimes [dirty cop] (67)
Seen in episodes: 45 -
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